Men Can Not Be Feminists: definitely my most popular post of the week. My personal belief is that men can be pro-feminist, feminist-minded, feminist allies, etc. Here I explain why. Some GREAT comments on this post as well.

GT 2009-08-29: On being part of the problem, in which I discuss a particularly ill-conceived “Wherez the womenz?” post from a (male, natch) Young American for Liberty. (I’d say a fellow libertarian, but, well, I don’t consider anti-choicers fellow libertarians, as a matter of definition.)

~Corbin Bleu from High School Musical recently posed nude for a promo shot for his new show. It’s interesting how that makes him hot and sexy, while Vanessa Hudgens’ leaked private naked pictures make her stupid and slutty.

While thinking about solidarity, I examined the latest NYT Magazine issue, “Saving the Word’s Women” — problematizing the contributors’ paternalistic depiction of third world women. Written for Hyphen blog column, “Idealize This!”

Born in rural Oregon, Brandi Shearer’s singing career began by entertaining her grandmother with versions of “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” and “Isn’t It Romantic” played by numbers on a Sears Roebuck electric piano. Later, she moved to Europe where she learned about Billie Holiday and singing effectively in front of drunken audiences. French girls taught her to artfully apply makeup and wear her hair just so. She sang in bars, clubs, festivals & living rooms across the continent until landing in Hungary. After some time spent living the expatriate life, she returned to the States to pursue a career in music on her native soil. http://www.suchcoolstuff.net/2009/08/brandi-shearer.html

As a new father to a daughter, I’m struck by the way in which the expectations of male weakness intersect with myths about little girls have their daddies wrapped around their fingers. My post on that subject here. Excerpt:

It encourages the noxious idea that men are loveable but easily led, and that “pretending to be weak” or “dressing real cute” are better strategies for young women to use to get what they want than simple forthright candor. In a very real way, it teaches little girls that manipulation is preferable to directness, and that good looks and feminine wiles are the most valuable tools a woman can possess. Above all, there’s a sinister reality that undergirds this whole discourse: if men are easily manipulated, than they can never fully be trusted. If a Dad can’t say no to his daughter, he sends her a message (however subliminal) that men are fundamentally unreliable. Whether in families or in boardrooms or in bed, one basic rule of life is that you can never, ever trust anyone who doesn’t have the strength and the agency with which to tell you “No”.

La Americana: Maria does not come to New York in pursuit of some variation on “The American Dream;” she is only there in the hopes of making enough money to cover medical expenses for her daughter Carla, who was left paralyzed by a bus accident as a young girl. Ironically, Maria’s need to take care of her daughter ends up being somewhat of a detriment to their relationship, as it keeps them apart for several years.

You’d Be So Pretty If…: While writing her column and undergoing her own transformation, her awareness of her daughter comes through. Realizing the importance of her daughter’s keen image of her mother, she looks at her life and interviews others who deal with their own weight issues. The underlying premise remains her own relationship with her daughter, now in the teen years.

Taxidermia: I was given a bootleg copy of Taxidermia about a year ago, before its North American release. True to bootleg copies, the disc went kaput about fifteen minutes into it, leaving me with the opening scene burned into my brain: the image of a flaming orgasm. Fire literally shoots out of a man’s penis. When I had the opportunity to review this critically recognized and awarded Hungarian film, I was excited to get past the opening scene. All the reviews praised the cinematography and aesthetics of this film, with one caveat – if you can stomach it.

Understanding “No to Yes” Rapists responds to the “proof” for a man’s claim that: “Rape is physically forced Intercourse, nothing more.” and looks at why certain rapists will push their victims to say yes before continuing.

Texas judge Kevin Fine must go examines more details about the case where during the sentencing portion of a rape trial that a judge questioned a rape victim to make her prove she didn’t consent as the defense alleged because he found it “odd” that her rapist had her on top of him.

Tom Calma: Indigenous Advisory Body to have Full Gender Equality at All Levels: A proposed new advisory body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs will have mandated gender equality from the co-chairs to every chamber of the congress. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner suggests that this, along with the proposed Ethics Council, is something other government and NGO bodies could do with emulating.